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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · safe · fall · game · ball · clip · craft · ruler

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — boats
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. game — a match
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — for paper
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. clip — a video
  20. ball — a dance
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — a series
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com